In telecommunications signaling networks, global title translation or GTT refers to the process by which the signaling connection control part (SCCP) called party address in a signaling message is translated into the point code of an intermediate or final destination. In intermediate global title translation, the SCCP called party address is translated into the point code of an intermediate destination. In final global title translation, the SCCP called party address is translated into the point code and subsystem number of a final destination.
In some networks, it may be desirable to load share messages that are sent route-on-global-title. For example, some nodes, such as service control points (SCPs), may be redundantly provided in a telecommunications network. That is, multiple identically provisioned service control points may be present in a network for enhanced reliability and/or for increasing the speed at which SCP services are provided. In some networks, each of the redundant service control points may have a separate point code, and other network nodes may rely on global title translation to route messages to the SCPs. However, because conventional global title translation associates a global title address with a single point code, load sharing requires an extension to conventional global title translation.
In one extension of conventional global title translation, a global title address is first translated into an initial point code. A mated application table containing the initial point code and the point codes of mated applications is then accessed using the initial point code. The final point code to be inserted in the message is selected from the initial point code and the mated application point codes based on relative cost. As a result, load sharing can occur between mated applications defined in the mated application table.
One shortcoming of this conventional type of load sharing is that the load sharing relationships between GTT destination point codes is global in the GTT tables. That is, a point code can only be associated with one set of mated application point codes in the mated application table. In addition, because the point code can only be associated with one set of mated application point codes, each point code can only be associated with a single load sharing algorithm. For example, if a point code is associated with two other mated application point codes and each point code is associated with a relative cost of 10, the load sharing algorithm will be to route 33% of received messages to each point code. There is no ability given the current global nature of point codes in GTT-related load sharing tables to define different load sharing algorithms that involve the same destination point code.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties associated with conventional GTT load sharing, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer program products for flexible global title translation load sharing.